


Turnabout is Fair Play

by sevenofswords



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Mind Control, Post Advent Children, Puppet Sephiroth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 12:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12630861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sevenofswords/pseuds/sevenofswords
Summary: In where Cloud gives Sephiroth a taste of his own medicine. Inspired by chaoscheebs' picture on Tumblr.





	Turnabout is Fair Play

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this picture on Tumblr by chaoscheebs and posted with their permission, thankies for letting me!  
> https://lovelessdiscord.tumblr.com/post/167107371989/chaoscheebs-so-what-if-the-connection-isnt#notes

Sephiroth could feel Cloud's emotions, always emotions, seething, chaotic, rising toward a peak.

"I am part of you, Cloud. I always will be."

Masamune followed his words, singing menace as it slashed, multiple times in a second. Cloud parried every one, stronger and faster than before, eyes blazing across their swords. Sephiroth didn't even need their mental link to notice how affected Cloud was.

Sephiroth had missed this. The game was as much a part of it as anything else.  
He cautioned himself; last time he'd let the game defeat him, his own anger and savage delight proving a downfall as he hovered over Cloud's broken body, watching Cloud try to force himself to his feet ... giving the Lifestream precious time to do its work. There would _not_ be a repeat of that.

Cloud's final parry turned into an attack of his own, and Sephiroth had to work to bring Masamune in line to block in time. Delightful.  
A faint shard of memory came to Sephiroth; once, before his ascension, he had wished for someone who could match him in battle, someone who could impress and test him instead of eliciting contempt and easy parries, an equal.

Sephiroth laughed, deep in his chest. "Cloud. You cannot defeat me. Even if I fall, I will live on within you."

Cloud's snarl of denial echoed off the concrete walls and _yes,_ Sephiroth could _feel_ it as something slipped in the younger man's mind.

But instead of a weakening, there came a shocking moment as Cloud smashed into Sephiroth - not just with First Tsurugi, but with his anger.

Masamune came up to block the massive blow, but the mental and physical attack together knocked Sephiroth backward a pace.  
They stayed there a moment, Cloud's sword trapping Masamune, blades almost quivering with the massive force they each exerted against the other, neither giving ground.

"I'm done with this!" Cloud shouted. "I'm sick of all of it. You're not ever controlling me again."

Sephiroth managed to remain silent, even to glare, but his shock and confusion flooded their connection at the sudden change of circumstance.

"Let's see how you like a taste of your own medicine," Cloud snarled. Their blades trembled in the balance between them. "On your knees!"

Cloud's will drove furiously into Sephiroth's, clumsy and unsubtle but with unstoppable force, and Sephiroth crashed to the ground with a soft _oof_.

::Inelegantly done, puppet,:: Sephiroth thought in an attempt to cover the moment of weakness. He found himself trying to ignore soreness in his knees, finding he was exactly in the position Cloud had demanded.  
This sparked anger, and Sephiroth shoved back with his own will.

In response, Cloud blanketed him with the force of his mind, covering all attempts to resist.  
"You just gave me the key, Sephiroth," Cloud bit back, and Sephiroth felt part of himself shiver at Cloud's sudden, savage smile. "If you're just a part of me... that means I can take control, too."

Sephiroth caught a fleeting spark of fierce satisfaction from the other, followed by a bizarre flickering of vision, as if he looked through first his own eyes, then Cloud's.  
He saw himself as he knelt, silver hair streaming, spilling on the ground, eyes helplessly wide, as Cloud's blade came to rest at his throat, just barely digging in, not quite breaking the skin.  
Not so different from how Cloud had once looked, years ago, at Sephiroth's mercy.

Sephiroth did not know what would come next, whether Cloud would use this advantage to rid himself of Sephiroth's presence for another year or two, or what else Cloud might do. Either way, a tendril of something very like apprehension curled inside him.


End file.
